The Bridge by Urami Bushi

Chapter One

 The wind blew through the forest as a young girl made her way through to reach the clearing that held the old bone eaters well. To look at this girl you'd think she didn't belong, but only a handful of individuals who knew the truth. Individuals who were extraordinary in their own right. 

Kagome Higurashi lead two completely separate lives. On one hand she was a 17 year old high school student who was just barely passing her classes, and on the other she was the protector of the Shikon No Tama. Kagome thought about her lives and couldn't help but feel there was more to her life than she thought, especially since she didn't know all the facts. Some time ago she learned that she was adopted, the woman she had grown to know as mother was her mother in name only. Kagome thought back to the day she found out about her adoption, and remembered the hurt she felt to learn that she didn't belong in the future. Though she loved her adoptive family, she made the choice to remain in the past once her quest to complete the jewel was done. 

The defeat of the vile hanyou Naraku just days before was the reason she was currently making her way to the bone eater's well, which sat just outside of Inuyasha's forest. It was no secret that at the beginning of her journey with her Inu hanyou friend she harbored feelings of love for him. With constant comparison to her previous incarnation her love for Inuyasha slowly but surely turned into a love one would feel for a sibling. She never held him at fault for why he compared her to his lost love, Kikyou. If anything she understood better than anyone why he did it. Their love was cut down at its prime, and if the roles were reversed she'd be lying if she said she wouldn't do the same when she in fact had done to poor Hojo each and every time he made his feeling known to her. 

As Kagome contemplated on her life she almost hadn't noticed the figure standing just a few yards away from the well. It wasn't until the person’s aura hit her full force that she noticed the tall man with long pitch black hair that fell just past his knees. He had eyes the color of fire that looked as though they were burning against the contrast of his pale skin. He had a black colored flame symbol on his forehead. He wore black ballooned hakamas, black and gold boots, and a red haori that was held closed by a gold sash. The armor he wore was black with spikes protruding from his chest plate. He stood perfectly still as he gazed at the miko. He almost could pass for a statue if it were not for the subtle movement caused by his breathing. A youkai, no doubt, and although Kagome could not detect any malicious intent in his aura she thought twice about stepping forward. All she could was stare. 

The staring contest seemed to last forever, when finally the youkai spoke. “Kagome, are you not?" He asked a stunned Kagome.  Taken aback, all she could do was nod. “I am Sasuke, prince of the Elemental kingdom of the South." 

Daring to step forward, Kagome finally spoke. "It is nice to meet you, Prince Sasuke. May I ask why you are here of all places?" 

He stepped forward. "I have come by order of the king of the South, King Roku, to find you and ask that would accompany me back to the Southern Kingdom. My King desires an audience with you,” the prince explained.

 "I'm sorry, but I have never heard of your King. What could he possibly want with me?" Kagome asked. She couldn't help but be confused. ‘Why would the Southern King want to see me?’ she thought to herself.

 “To hell with this,” Sasuke mumbled. ”Kagome, you are my younger sister. Princess of the Elemental kingdom of the South. Our father, the king, has been searching for many years after you were kidnapped from the Southern palace." 

Kagome felt the air leave her lungs. She could not believe what she was hearing. How could this be possible she was from 500 years in the future? She was a human miko! Surely, if she was youkai and a royal at that she'd know, would she not.

“Kagome?" Called Sasuke, taking another step forward. 

Her mind was spinning with the new information, and then she did something she had never done before. Kagome fainted. Before she could hit the hard ground Sasuke caught her and set her down gently. ‘This is going to be a long day,’ thought Sasuke, as he sat down next to his sister. When word had reached the south about her being spotted traveling all over Japan with the Inu tachi all he wanted to do was find her and bring her home, but their father forbade him to go anywhere near her until her mission with the jewel was complete. That was 2 years ago, and he waited with bated breath for the day that she would rid the world of the cursed jewel and spider hanyou. Now, nothing stood in his way of bringing his sister home and picking up the pieces of their broken family, something he would be happy to do once she awoke. He doubted she would like it very much if he just traveled, with her while unconscious, to then awaken in the South. If her temper was anything similar to their mother's he would gladly walk on eggshells to avoid her wrath.

        A/N: Special thanks to my beta Elizabeth...